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With our season really up the creek without a paddle, there are going to be some difficult questions which need answering which I will post at reasonable intervals.

Difficult Question #1 - Is Desean Jackson a luxury we canít afford?

Note: Afford means 'afford in having' rather than 'afford in paying' - his contract is structured well.

Let me start off with making the note that I don't think Jackson should or will go anywhere, but it is one of the difficult questions we need to consider in the offseason.

In March, Desean Jackson signed a 5 year, $47m contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. This locked him up with the Eagles until the end of the 2016 season. This season, Jackson has put up 691 yards receiving more importantly, he hasnít dropped a pass. However, he has only 2 touchdowns in the struggling offense and in the game against the Redskins, only had 2 catches for 5 yards. With the Eagles about to enter a new era; for the first time in 14 years without Andrew Walter Reid, is Jackson a luxury we canít afford to have in the rebuilding stage.

Build around those players we have

The main reason not to do anything silly with Jackson is that we need to build around the talent that we have Ė McCoy and Jackson are the two main weapons on offense and any young quarterback (be it Foles or a draft pick) will need these two to develop as a player. Moving Jackson through a trade would just open up another hole for our front office and coaching staff to fill in the offseason.

If Jackson a #1 receiver?

I donít think anyone could doubt that Desean Jackson is a playmaker. His speed is a rare attribute and he has shown on punt returns that he is a danger every time he touches the ball. However, it is difficult to claim that he is a #1 receiver. At 5-9 170 lbs, Jackson isnít big enough or strong enough to do all the things expected of that #1 receiver. You fear for him if he runs slants; he canít really go up and out muscle the defensive back for the ball. We have also seen times Jackson to be nonexistent in the passing game where the defense plays Cover 2 and Jackson is negated. Now this could be due to crummy gameplanning and playcalling, but you have to wonder if Jackson can be relied upon to be that 1200 yard plus receiver; or if he should be the complimentary receiver who also returns punts and is used on gadget plays.

Contract and what value could we get?

As mentioned above, Jackson signed a $47m contract. However, only $15m of it was guaranteed. Based on information available, we would take a reasonable cap hit if he were to be traded, but leaves the team who would trade for him with a cap friendly contract.

Who would trade for him? Teams which have a #1 receiver but needs that dynamic threat to get them over the hill. A team with an imaginative offensive playcaller who could get the most out of Jackson would also be beneficial. One team that stands out to me would be Houston. While they drafted Posey and Martin, they havenít got a real X factor opposite Johnson.

That leads onto what we could receive for him. Given his contract, his return skills and the fact that he is an X factor, a 1st round pick is a minimum.

Summary

So to summarise, with the Eagles about to go through a rebuilding phase, do they cash in one of their chips which, while it might hurt them next year, could give them the additional building blocks to be a real force in the years to come?_________________

Last edited by marky_b27 on Fri Nov 23, 2012 11:33 am; edited 1 time in total

Even with a new coaching staff, I don't think he's going anywhere. We just need a true #1 WR to pair with him.

We can free up $40M+ from cutting Vick, Bell, Babin, Nnamdi, etc. So by that point, DeSean's contract won't be an issue at all._________________2013 Eagles Forum HOF
[quote="Leon Sandcastle"]Chip Kelly's system is college material...that stuff doesn't fly in the NFL[/quote]

It's not about the money, it's about the fact that a cynic could call him a gimmick. A very good gimmick, but someone who can and has been shut out of games.

Get him a true #1 WR, who generates real attention from opposing defenses, and DeSean's gimmick becomes an asset._________________2013 Eagles Forum HOF
[quote="Leon Sandcastle"]Chip Kelly's system is college material...that stuff doesn't fly in the NFL[/quote]

If we, say bring in Norv Turner as OC, he just doesn't use short receivers. Then what?

Isn't Eddie Royal a Charger right now?

I'm sure if we hire someone who "doesn't use short WRs," they'll find a way to use DeSean somehow._________________2013 Eagles Forum HOF
[quote="Leon Sandcastle"]Chip Kelly's system is college material...that stuff doesn't fly in the NFL[/quote]

I'm also in the keep and build round Jackson and McCoy corner, but as I said, it is a difficult question which may be raised in the future.

We have more difficult questions to answer though Marky. That is the point I'm trying to make.

Do we keep Roseman as GM?
Who will be a our HC?
Who will be our QB?
What do we do with the defense?
Can we employ a competent safety duo?
What do we do with the O-line?

Those are bigger issues than "should we build around McCoy and Jackson," IMO._________________2013 Eagles Forum HOF
[quote="Leon Sandcastle"]Chip Kelly's system is college material...that stuff doesn't fly in the NFL[/quote]

Last edited by Eagles_808 on Fri Nov 23, 2012 11:38 am; edited 1 time in total